From: Sam Rutherford [mailto:sam then the obvious then prepare2go.com]
Sent: 09 January 2015 13:35
Subject: Telling it straight
Dear Tracey,
I read today of your Bill Woodhams Trophy award. This follows some months of hearing second-hand your version of how I/we performed during the flight from Cape Town. We, on the other hand, have been maintaining a professional silence about your performance until now.
Firstly, let me clarify that due to our reputation in the industry being considerably better than yours, most of your comments reflect badly on you (rather than casting us in a bad light, which is presumably your intention). That being said, if we receive solid information that our business has been damaged (potential or actual contracts lost) due to malicious defamation – we will sue.
Secondly, the Bill Woodhams Trophy is awarded for feats of navigation. I can only assume that you didn’t tell them that:
• You flew all but four of the African legs with your 20K+ hours instructor.
• That on two of the four solo legs, you actually asked the ‘chase plane’ to lead you in as you were unsure of your ability to find them by yourself.
I was surprised and disappointed by this award:
1. That clearly no due-diligence was done by the LAA before it was presented to you.
2. That the runner-up missed out on this (well-deserved in their case) recognition.
3. You had the gall to accept it.
What’s done is done, but please be advised that if I hear of further awards presented on the basis of an incomplete picture of your ‘achievement’ then I will make my concerns public. So perhaps consider supplying a full, complete and correct version of events should anything else be offered?
Lastly, could I ask you to stop using the words:
• Solo (as not true)
• I had it harder than Lady Heath (as not true, and also an insult to her achievement)
Sam Rutherford.
Last edited by Sam Rutherford; 2nd Jul 2016 at 13:59.